Grain-cleaning device



(No Model.)

P. I'. LANDIS. GRAIN CLEANING DEVICE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

FIE. l.

. 54mm/vbo@ 2%? 3511 www@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

FRANK F. LANDIS, OF WAYNESBOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAIN-CLEANING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,045, dated August6, 1895. Application filed May io, 1895. serai No. 548,861. cto moda TotZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. LANDIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waynesborough, in the county of Franklin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrain-Cleaning Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as' willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains t'o make and usethe same.

This invention relates to grain-cleaning devices for use in connectionwith thrashingmachines; and it consists in the novel construction andcombination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal section through thegrain-cleaning devices. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same.

A are portions of the casing of a thrashingmachine or grain-separator ofapproved construction.

Bis a shoe or the end of a gather-board. The front end of the shoe ispivotally supported by the rocker-arms C, which are pivoted on the pinsc projecting from the machine-casing. The rear end of the shoe B restsupon the first grain-plate D, which is carried by the machine-casing. Eand F are the second and third grain-plates, respectively, and the threesaid grain-plates are arranged in the form of steps, so that the grainmay fall from one to the other by gravity.

E is a push-piece arrangedY near the rear edge of the grain-plate'E andprovided with sei-rations e on its rear face. The serrations arepreferably V-shaped notches spaced at a little greater distance apar-tthan the length of the reciprocations communicated to the push-piece, ashereinafter fully described. A,

some instances dispensed with altogether.

The third grain-plate F is provided with a push-piece E and aguard-plate in a similar manner.

The grain-plates D, E, and F are provided with removable toothed combs fof approved construction at their rear edges, but any or all of thesecombs may be dispensed with if desired.

G is a prism-shaped dividebbar secured to the casing below the rearcdgeof the grainplate F.

H is a downwardly and forwardly inclined gather-board for the grain,arranged under the three grain-plates, and I is a chute for thetailings, secured to the under side of the said gather-board and havingan opening t' at its upper end'beyond the rear end of the gat h er-boardH is the grain-spout at the lower end of the gather-board H, and I isthe tailingsspout under the lower end of the tailingschute. According tothis construction the tailings-spout is removed from its usual positionat the extreme rear of the machine to a point forward of the rear axleof the machine. This construction permits a much shortertailings-elevator to be used and otherwise greatly simplifies theconstruction of the rear part'of the machine and makes it more compact.

The front end 0f the gather-board H is pivoted to the rocker-arms C bythe pins h, and its rear end is pivctally supportedv by the links 'i'`The front ends of the gather-board H and the tailings-chute I receive atossing motion, as well as a reciprocating motion, which assists thematerial in sliding down them.

The shoe B has short and quick longitudinal reciprocations imparted toit by any approved driving mechanism. The push-pieces E likewise receiveshortand quick longitudinal reciprocations, but in adirection crosswiseof the machine-casing, by any approved driving devices.

lThe driving mechanism preferably used consists of a crank-shaft Kprovided with short cranks 7c and connecting-rods k', which connect thesaid cranks with the'upper parts of the rocker-arms C. M is abelt-pulley on the said crank-shaft, which is journaled in IOO bearingssecured to the casing. An eccentric N is secured on the crank-shaft K,preferably outside the casing, and n is the eccentric-rod for workin-gthe push-pieces E.

O is a bracket secured to the casing and provided with a projecting pino. The pushpieces slide loosely in holes in the casing and have rods Psecured to their ends.

I is a Y-shaped lever pivoted on the pin and having the rods P pivotedto the ends of its arms. The end of the eccentric-rod n is pivoted to alaterally-projecting arm p on the said lever P.

The mixed grain, chad, and tailings from the straw-separating devicesslide down the shoe B onto the first grain-plate. The rear end of thesaid shoe serves as a push-piece, which, owing to the short and quickreciprocations imparted to it,produces a quivering motion in thematerial on the grain-plate, causing the grain to work to the bottom andthe lighter material to the top and moving the material slowly and stepby step across the said grain-plate. The material falls from the rearedge of the first grain-plate onto the pile of material on the secondgrain-plate. A blast of air is forced upwardly and rearwardly betweenthe grain-plates, as indicated by the arrows, by any approved form ofblower or fan. The lighter material is deposited on the rear side of thepile of material on the second grain-plate and the grain falls on thefront side of the pile and slides down it onto the gather-board, andthence into the grainspout. The chal is blown'to the rear and the lightrubbish and tailings slide down the rear side of the pile and fallbetween the serrations of the push-piece.

The rapidly-reciprocating push-piece E produces a quivering motion inthe material, which works the light portions to the top and the grain tothe bottom. The material is moved across the grain-plate and falls ontothefthird grain-plate, being again separated by the action of the blast.The tailings slide over the rear end of the divider-bar into thetailings-chute and any few remaining grains slide oft' the front of thedivider-bar onto the grain gather-board.

The toothed combs arc chiefiy intended for use when fine seeds, such astimothy, are being cleaned. The motion ofthe serrated pushpieces beingcrosswise of the teeth of the combs, any short straws or other similarrubbish longer than the grains are moved by the serrations intopositions crosswise ofthe teeth of the combs, so that they slide overthe points of the said teeth and fall onto the rear sides of the piles.

What I claim is- 1. In a grain separator, the combination, with a platefor the grain to rest on, ot a serrated push piece above the said plate,and driving mechanism operating to impart short and quick reciprocationsto the said push piece in a direction longitudinal of the said plate,whereby the said serrations impart a quivering motion to the grain,separate it into layers and move it step by step across the said plate,substantially as set forth.

2. In a grain separator, the combination, with a plate for the grain torest on,of a push piece having serrations on its rear side and arrangedabove the said plate, a guard covering the front side and top ot' thesaid push piece, and driving mechanism operating to ilnpart short andquick rcciprocations to the said push piece in a direction longitudinalot' the said plate, whereby the grain is separated into layers and movedacross the plate, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with two grain plates arranged in the form ot'steps, and serrated push pieces on the said plates; of a pivotedY-shaped lever having its arms operatively connected with the ends ofthe said push pieces, and an eccentric and an eccentric rod, said rodbeing operatively connected to an arm projecting laterally from the saidlever, substan tially as set forth.

4. The combination, with three grain plates arranged in the form ofsteps, a shoe resting on the first grain plate, and serrated push piecesou the second and third grain plates; of driving mechanism operating toimpart short and quick reciprocations to the said shoe crosswise of thefirst grain plate, and to the said serrated push pieces longitudinallyof the second and third grain plates, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK F. LAN DIS.

Witnesses:

ALF. N, RUSSELL, JNO. B. RUSSELL.

